Brief Overview of the International Conference “Saint Martin, precursor of the creation of Christian Chivalric Orders”, Arad, Transylvania 24 April 2026

Just a few days home from Budapest, Hungary where I paused for the night after returning from the conference in Arad, Transylvania—and then onward to Ireland, followed by a final stretch of road for a few hours that felt both endless and grounding.

It has been a long journey, yes, and a tiring one—but undeniably worth every moment. These lands linger with you. They are not easily left behind. Steeped in centuries of memory, they once bore witness to the presence of the Knights Templar and other Christian military orders, while also standing at the crossroads of history’s great upheavals—from the Mongol incursions of the 13th century to the advancing frontiers of the Ottoman Empire.

And yet, beyond the battles and the chronicles we think we know, there are deeper stories waiting—threads of history still untold, connections still to be uncovered. This journey, and the conference itself, opened doors to some of these hidden narratives… and I cannot wait to begin sharing more...

“A writer’s job is not to say what we can all say, but what we are unable to say.” — Anaïs Nin

I have carried these words like a quiet flame, a summons to listen where silence has been imposed. It is why I became a historian—not to preserve the comfort of accepted narratives, but to lean into the fractures of history, where truths have been softened, erased, or denied. In historical revisionism and cultural heritage, I found my calling: to give voice to those rendered voiceless—the marginalised, the misunderstood, the deliberately forgotten. The Knights Templar, women whose stories were buried beneath doctrine, and the sacred feminine itself—all waiting, like echoes beneath stone, to be heard again.

And so, like a pilgrim returning from a fabled kingdom, I find myself home from a journey that felt almost like a forgotten fairy tale. Hungary—once known as the Kingdom of Mary—stood as a bridge between East and West, and beyond it, Transylvania unfolded like a hidden manuscript of medieval memory. These lands were not merely passed through, but entrusted, as King Coloman negotiated safe passage for Godfrey of Bouillon and his retinue toward Jerusalem (this being the safest route to the Holy Land)—seeding the formation of sacred orders founded by Godfrey who would become Defender of Jerusalem such as the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre (1098) and the Priory of Our Lady at Mount Sion (1099). And before them all, a woman ahead of her time, Matilda of Tuscany (Godfrey's aunt), had already laid foundations before the Crusades with the Order of St James of Altopascio; founded between 1070-1080, also known as the Knights of the Tau, the earliest Christian institution to combine the protection and assistance of pilgrims, the staffing of hospitals, and a military wing.

After spending a few days in Budapest, Hungary this week, I then travelled to the beautiful city of Arad in Transylvania (Romania), where I had the honour of serving as keynote speaker at the International Conference “Saint Martin, precursor of the creation of Christian Chivalric Orders”. The second edition of this international conference was held on Friday 24 April 2024 and organised by The Sovereign Order of the Saint-Martin Templar Knights (OSTSM) together with esteemed cultural institutions including the Medieval Museum of Arad: a city whose very landscape bears the imprint of medieval passage and protection, situated along vital crossroads that once connected Western Christendom to the Byzantine East, and near routes travelled by crusaders, pilgrims, and military orders such as the Knights Templar and the Teutonic Order as they moved toward the Holy Land. The conference explored themes from early Christianity to the Salt Road and monastic traditions of the Mureș Valley, gathering over thirty distinguished speakers and scholars whose work will be published in a forthcoming volume.

St. Martin became a true example throughout the history of mankind, being considered the patron of soldiers, the poor, and the wronged. Elected Bishop of Tours in 371, Saint Martin of Tours dedicated his life to serving God and his fellow man, embodying a model of sanctified knighthood long before the formal emergence of medieval military orders. His legacy became a spiritual foundation for these orders—an ideal of the miles Christi, the “soldier of Christ”—in which martial duty was inseparable from humility, charity, and moral responsibility. In this sense, St. Martin stands as a guiding figure for the chivalric ethos that would later define institutions such as the Knights Templar and the Teutonic Order, inspiring a vision of knighthood rooted not only in defence, but in compassion and service. Like the ancient knights who followed in this tradition, he represents the enduring pursuit of a world where all that is human might be fully realised in balance and harmony—through the promotion of Christian and moral values of tolerance, love, dedication, wisdom, and philanthropy.

I was profoundly moved—almost stilled into silence—when I was unexpectedly awarded the Cross of Merit (Crucea de Merit), the highest honour bestowed upon a non-member of The Sovereign Order of the Saint-Martin Templar Knights (OSTSM), in recognition of my research and contributions to Templar history. Conferred for meaningful service to community, culture, education, and the preservation of shared heritage, it carries a significance far deeper than distinction alone. Described as a “seal of inner calling,” it is reserved for those who embody, in both work and spirit, the enduring chivalric values of dedication, charity, and loyalty—values that transcend time and continue to shape our modern world. To receive such an honour, among individuals devoted to upholding these ideals, felt less like an accolade and more like a quiet, humbling acknowledgment—one that seemed to echo not only in the present, but across the continuum of history itself.

This has been one of the most beautifully organised and truly memorable conferences I have ever attended, thoughtful in every detail—I especially appreciated the provision of simultaneous translation, which allowed me to fully engage throughout (thank you, Adrian).

After a long journey home—from Transylvania to Budapest, and onward to Ireland, followed by a drive of over three hours—I carry with me a deep sense of gratitude. To Grand Master Aurelian Boit and his his lovely wife, Grand Dame Daniela of The Sovereign Order of the Saint-Martin Templar Knights (OSTSM), for their extraordinary warmth, generosity, and vision Also deeply grateful to the Director of the Medieval Museum of Arad for believing in my work and whom I hope to support in his quest as and to the many remarkable individuals I had the privilege of meeting and sharing meaningful conversations with during and after the conference (you are all already missed!). Those exchanges were, for me, among the most precious and quietly magical moments of this journey, and I look forward to continuing these connections and sharing more about them in the time ahead.

I leave with a renewed commitment: to uncover the hidden Templar history of this region, and the sacred feminine woven within it.

These lands have not only captivated my heart—they have awakened something I cannot, and will not, silence. And alongside this calling, I carry with me the friendships forged here—connections that have deeply warmed my heart and, in their sincerity and spirit, have given me a renewed sense of strength and purpose for the path ahead.

Thank you again to all who crossed paths with me the past few days, I look forward to reconnecting with you all soon!

PROGRAMME INCLUDED:

Authors and researchers from various fields, each bringing a different perspective on the medieval phenomenon:

Helena B. Scott - Religion and the Sacred Feminine in the Knights Templar, suppressed by Christianity and Academia

Ovidiu Pecican - The Teuton model and the construction of medieval political structures

Mihai-Florin Hasan - Mobiles and anthroponimical echoes in the east-central European space

Daniel Smuc - Documents on confessional borders from the 13th century

Sorin Bulboacă - Critical analysis of the possible Templarial/Ioanite presences at Tau Bul

Dan Gîrjoabă - The affiliation between the monastic rule and the structures of chivalry orders

Pompilia Szellner - Psychological profile of the knight Templar - between the Martinian archetype and modern psychological interpretation

Daniela Maria Boi Maria / Daniel Răducan – The diet of the Knights Templar

Daniel A. Constantinescu - The ideal of the Christian knight: the influence of the model of Saint Martin on the Order of the Templars

Antoniu Martin – Arad, a city under the Dragon's sign. The Order of the Dragon

Remus Barna - The patronage of Saint Martin in western Transylvania. Ecclesiastical geography and the construction of authority in the Middle Ages